


Once upon a time

by moon_hedgehog



Category: The Glass Scientists (Webcomic)
Genre: Also Lanyon is kinda asexual, And Hyde is Hyde, Fairy!Virginia, Jekyll is a little shit, Knight!Archer, Multi, Nobleman!Robert, Parody, Prince!Henry, This is crazy fic, fairytale!au, kind of, so be prepared, some other Lodgers also here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-19
Updated: 2018-01-21
Packaged: 2019-02-17 01:57:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13066743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moon_hedgehog/pseuds/moon_hedgehog
Summary: there was a cursed prince, a poor aristocrat, a very fed up fairy, a loser knight, a girl with a gun and a sad werewolf.Somehow they all met.(semi-hiatus, editing)





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> actually, I wanted to finish this until Christmas, but then I realized that's just **impossible**. so yep, now it's here and in progress.  
>  I don't know what is happening in this fic, but I kinda have some sort of future plot, so... if you're asking yourself what the hell is going on, let's just hope that in the end it will all clear up. I hope too.  
> also if you're lucky enough, you can find many easter eggs, wordplays and references.  
> and if you find a typo throw it to my face, pls, cause beting this is a nightmare.

Once upon a time, there was a kingdom in the world, located on moss-covered rocks and wild plains. And there was a prince, living in that kingdom – a beautiful slender young man with eyes like the color of a ripe pomegranate, and hair like the color of eagle feathers. He was kind, curious and brave, played perfectly on the piano and grew his own garden of vine-red roses. But only he kept a terrible secret – and on the day of his eighteenth birthday, the king and the queen imprisoned their son in a tall tower, guarded by a nightmarish monster; for the old prophecy read that only a kiss of true love could save the prince from his curse. And knights with princesses flocked, and farmers with peasants flocked to this tower, but no one could defeat the insidious beast. So the beautiful prince named Henry Jekyll was waiting for his savior.

But our story – strange and scientifically magical – doesn’t originate in an ivy-tiled tower, but in the small town of Nodnol...

 

A brave nobleman named Robert Lanyon stretched and completely non-aristocratically sneezed. His friend Sinnett guffawed right away, and, catching a gloomy look in his direction, engaged in this job even harder.

“You’d better be silent,” Lanyon muttered. “If the parents find out that I’m dating with the coalman, they will eat my brains with a silver spoon.”

The red-haired and disheveled peasant clasped his fingers in the shape of heart and cheekily grinned with his crooked teeth.

“You’re _dating_ , are you, huh?”

Robert rolled his eyes at the blessed ceiling.

“You know what I meant. Besides, you do not think that I would date a pleb, right?! And that you’re my type?”

Sinnett got up from the table and reached to the bookcase opposite. Demonstratively taking out several books, he turned to Lanyon.

“No, but I know _who_ is your type! All these gasping and fainting princesses from old fairytales. Amiright?” he devilishly smiled again, and Robert could not help but shivered.

“Well… I do not even know...” he mumbled, until a heavy calloused hand dropped onto his shoulder, making the poor man to jump.

“You! You touched my new shirt with your… fingers! You’re dirty, lazar, terrible...”

Sinnett didn't even listen to his friend, he drove his forefinger over his lips and thoughtfully squinted.

“Princesses from old tales, huh?.. Hey, Rob, did ya hear about that prince in the tower? Seems like no one has got him yet.”

Lanyon, with a face flushed with anger and theatrically ascended hands, froze. Discontentedly chewing his lip, the nobleman reluctantly replied:

“Henry Jekyll? Yes, I haven’t heard of anyone… getting him. Why are you asking?”

The coalman ran his fingers into his fire-kissed curls and smiled cunningly.

“So this is your chance, mate! You can save him, kiss him from some kind of dumb curse and – it’s in the bag! You’ll be a king!”

Robert recoiled, obviously not pleased with this possibility.

“Me?! Leave everything, my family, my status, my life – and go to save some kid?! You’re crazy!”

Sinnet's grin had become even more sly, although it would have seemed impossible.

“No, _you_ _’_ _re_ crazy!” the coalman began to attack, pushing his friend to the wall. “You sit here like a ram, waiting until some cursed will woo to you. But how old are you?” here, the red-haired man voice had appreciably risen. “How old, I ask you?! Twenty two! Your youth will go away! Try for something! Do something to be proud of later! Your books on astronomy will never give you real experience. Real, Lanyon!”

Continuing the tirade, Sinnett shook poor Robert by the shoulders, causing him squeak weakly.

“… A whole kingdom can fall under your feet! Kingdom, Carl! And you, you’re sitting here, alone...”

“I get it!” yelled Lanyon, pushing an overly caring comrade away from himself.

The latter took a deep breath and put his hands on his hips.

“You either go to the tower or I tell everyone that you’re hiding under the bed during a thunderstorm.”

Robert’s brown eyes widened in horror, and, fairly considering not to argue more with the insane coalman, he sighed in defeat.

“So be it, I’m going to this… there. But if I won’t come back!” the nobleman tragically raised his hands and closed his eyes “it will be on your conscience!”

Sinnett only briefly chuckled at this manifestation of feelings.

 

Robert had reached to the tower – this very fact already made him happy. The young aristocrat let go of the reins of his gallant horse, which was absolutely brazenly stolen from the Nodnol's stableman Bryson. The noble animal was completely exhausted – from the town to the tower, their way was very long. Lanyon took a piece of cranberry-honey bread from the bag with provision and meditatively crunched. The tower was… not as high as the way people talk about it. Rather average – it did not pierce the sky with a spire, but it could not be called a low mushroom either. The gate was right in front of Robert – for a long year of untouchability they were covered with ivy, and the nobleman unwittingly thought about whether Prince Henry was still alive, and if so, what he was eating there. However, there still was a small window on the side, it was quite possible to deliver supplies, but our aristocrat for some reason thought that it was not intended for this at all.

Night came, Lanyon was terribly tired, but natural stubbornness prevented him from leaving the business unfinished. And where is that sinister monster that everyone was talking about? He opened the gate without much difficulty – the ivy was young, and the rust didn't have time to eat the fasteners – and stared ahead. In absolutely impenetrable darkness. Robert didn't have any banal matches, and he had no idea what to do with a bag of coal, generously given by Sinnett, so he recklessly stepped into obscurity. Groping the nearest wall, Lanyon moved along it – and everything was fine, he even managed to estimate room's size; 'till his left leg did not slip off and teamwise with it, he slipped as well. With a squeal, our brave adventurer rolled down the long staircase. Wrapped in a cloak like a caterpillar or a fresh packed baguette, Robert counted fifty-seven steps before collapsing to the blessed ground. And in the next second, trying to get up on his shaking legs, he suddenly felt that he was whacked by something very heavy…

 

And everything fell into darkness – but not for long. Soon, the brave nobleman Lanyon was blinking and shaking his head. What is he? Where is he? And what, for the whole world, is happening here?!

“You’re awake.”  
A quiet, crystal voice crashed into poor Robert with a piece of glass, and he winced. The stranger immediately gasped in shame, placing his thin, cool fingers on the temples of our traveler.

“Sorry, it’s just… visitors are rare here. And more often they all...” the voice sighed “They all want to marry me.”

Lanyon twisted his tongue and clapped his eyes even harder. Vision began to clear up: he could already see a refined, beauteous young man, smiling unhappily at him from behind the… laboratory table. Because heck, Robert was tied to a chair in some dark underground lab. And he did not like it at all.

“Hey, hey, let’s discuss it calmly, good?” the aristocrat bleated in panic, twitching his hands, tied behind his back.

The young man opposite shrugged – for a moment his shape oddly blurred – and nodded reassuringly.

“Of course, I’m sorry that this happened. You’re safe, that is… I will not do anything to you.” He smiled again, and Lanyon caught himself on the thought that the corners of his lips are also beginning to rise up. So contagiously perfectly smiled…

“Are you Jekyll? Henry Jekyll?” Man nodded.

… the young prince.

“Why did you decide that I did not want to marry you? Maybe I, like the others, came here just for that.”

The ancient fifth sense, which the Robert's family was so famous for, now screamed to him that he shouldn't irritate this crystal-brittle heir. And in general, apprehensive him in every possible way, for behind his angelic appearance there was a certain diabolical mystery. Like he was cursed by unknown forces. Although, he _was_ cursed.

“Edward said that you don’t look dangerous…” Henry frowned and his hand harshly shuddered, beating a tact on the table. “Besides, I think… I might need your help. No one has come to me for a long time, and I have almost finished the preparations, only one last ingredient lacks… And I need an assistant to get it. It’ll be you,” the young prince finished and innocently shrugged.

Robert unaristocratically dropped his jaw to the chest.

“Wait, what makes you think that I would help you at all? I came to save you! Not to...” Lanyon confused himself in what he had wanted to say, but met a condescending smile with an evil glance.

He didn't volunteer as a mate for some nineteen-year-old greenhorn!

“You came to save me and you _will_ save me.” Henry bowed his head to the one side and ran his thin fingers along the edge of the laboratory table. “Tell me, do you really want to take me as your husband? The person whom you see for the first time in your life?”

Robert carefully and brazenly examined the prince from head to toes and gravely nodded to himself.

“No, you’re not my type, sorry,” the aristocrat said carelessly, which caused a pure bewilderment on the face of the red-eyed man. So, apparently, no one has talked about him like that yet.

“And do you think _I_ want to marry an idiot, who will rush to “save” me?” Jekyll shook his fingers in air quotes. “Mom and Dad themselves asked to leave me alone, but no! People want a story, romance.” The prince sighed wearily, his eyes flashed green for a moment, but Lanyon chalked it up on his long-suffering head.

“So… You have to help me with nothing, just take me to Virginia It...”

“Virginia Ito?! Are you crazy?!” The nobleman screamed, trying to recoil on indignation directly in the chair. “She’s the most insidious and villainous fairy in the whole kingdom! In all four kingdoms, I swear!”

Jekyll clasped his fingers together and pursed his lips stubbornly.

“You will take me to her. You probably know where she lives, and since you’ve gotten in my arms, I can not help but taking advantage of that chance. I’m sorry, but,” the heir spread his hands, “that’s the deal.”

Robert furiously twitched in the fetters, but except pain in the hands and feet, done nothing. When his short resistance was broken by his own helplessness, our hero groaned and lifted his eyes to the ceiling, according to the good-old tradition.

“And if I refuse? What then?”

And then his fifth sense made a somersault, hitting him under his breath – Henry Jekyll approached and gently took his chin with his lethal fingers of the pianist. He was beautiful to the pain in the heart, but this beauty did not belong to Robert, and it did not belong to no one but his own curse.

“Then… I think Edward will kill you. He is very jealous. Sorry.”


	2. II

The brave horse of the brave Nodnol’s stableman was shocked by the amount of chemical equipment that Jekyll had loaded onto him. He even cowardly tried to escape, but Lanyon caught the unfortunate animal by the harness and dragged him back.

Our noble heroes started their journey. The young prince put on a long black cloak, fastened with a ruby brooch; Lanyon had managed to notice exactly the same cloak in his duffel bag, only with an emerald. This strange circumstance only strengthened him in thought that something is wrong with the throne’s heir. It’s not that he didn’t realize it before – Jekyll’s odd threats have already impressed him. Who the hell is this Edward? And maybe it’s this monster that was supposed to guard the tower from invaders?

The gentleman sighed painfully, and the journey, meanwhile, went on. The fields were replaced by forests, forests by villages, and on one of the glades the heroes made a camp. Yesterday, Robert spent the night in the tower, – tied, but only to the bed now – today he will have to be content with dry grass, for neither he nor his seductive torturer cared at least about the elementary sheets. Grumbling discontentedly, the nobleman somehow settled himself under a wide spruce, shivering from the night coolness. Henry sat opposite, finishing his dinner with a completely dreamy expression on a clearly defined face, periodically glancing at the box of chemical reagents at his feet. After Robert had reluctantly told him the way to the dark fairy, the prince kept saying all the way that they need to get to the village of Enacra until tomorrow evening. Lanyon didn’t know what was supposed to happen tomorrow evening, and wasn’t sure that he _want_ to know it. He already had three times to shower Sinnett with curses, three more times to tragically (but in head) sniveled about his difficult fate, and three times to glance at Henry Jekyll with undisguised suspicion. The latter did not pay much attention to his captive, for he was completely immersed in the forthcoming. Robert’s fifth sense immediately throw back his ridiculous idea of escaping, for which the aristocrat was immensely grateful. No, while he is in it, it’s better to help this demented prince and then he’ll demand a big castle with servants, antique columns and… well, or he will just run away.

 

His dream was surprisingly strong and pleasant; however awakening was marked by a piercing screech, for the aristocrat was unceremoniously poured over with a bucket of water. Robert abruptly sat, blinking in shock, and looked up at the young prince. He raised an eyebrow, which, apparently, meant “and what did you expect?”, and went to the extinct bonfire.

“We need to be in Enacra as soon as possible. Get up, please.”

Our nobleman winced, pouted and curled up in an aggrieved ball, re-remembering old childhood habits. However, he couldn’t outstay like that for long, for a sharp gust of wind caused him to tremble unmanly and jumped to his feet. Rushing to the horse, Robert hastily took out change of clothes from the saddlebag. And no, he wasn’t affected by sudden attacks of embarrassment at all, rather, on the contrary, he was known as sarcastic and heartless in his hometown; only when Lanyon turned around, he realized that he had to change his clothes here… near the prince.

The latter didn’t share his feelings. Henry gave a quick glance to his prisoner, continuing to tie sea knots on packages with laboratory equipment.

“Something happened?”

“I need to change my clothes,” Lanyon bleated, trying to keep his voice angry, for yes, he was still nightmarishly angry and offended.

The heir looked at him in confusion.

“… fine.”

If the situation had allowed him such “quirks” (as his grandma used to say), Robert would surely stamp his noble face in the nearest tree trunk in an uncomplicated gesture “oh Lord!”. Unfortunately, the situation hadn’t allowed, and all that was left to him was staring at Jekyll. But he finally got it.

“Are you feeling awkward with me?” a guess illuminated prince’s face with a sunlight, making it even more beautiful. “Oh, but it’s nothing… I’m sorry, sometimes I forget that people are ashamed of their bodies… I can turn away if you want.”

The aristocrat could have tried to understand was he insulted or praised, but promised himself to think about it on the way. Now there were others, much more important things.

“I need to go somewhere.”

The prince shook his head so sharply, Robert even worried about him.

“No, I do not want you to run away. Change clothes here and now or stay in yours. And faster, please.”

Lanyon snorted, turned to the stolen horse and quietly lamented in his ear:

“Despot...”

 

Somehow, our hero overcame his shyness – and there was nothing else to do, if, of course, he didn’t want to remain in his wet clothes. So in a few minutes, he and the prince were on their way. Henry Jekyll sometimes twitched nervously and checked something in a small notebook (apparently, from the dragon’s skin, Lanyon estimated), and then exhaled softly and seemed to be back to normal again. Robert did not really like this, but what else he could do? Only leading the horse, which he condemned to back pain for the rest of his life.

When the sun was at its zenith, the brave men finally reached the glorious village of Enacra. Children scurried through the streets with a loud laugh, sellers vociferously beckoned to look at their goods, and ordinary people stared at travelers. Perhaps, most of them were paying attention only to the myriad of Jekyll’s chemical equipment – and Lanyon couldn’t judge them for this.

Prince confidently paved their way and soon the travelers were already standing at the door of a small tavern. The nobleman looked uncertainly at the signboard: “Confrontation”. In his opinion, this name didn’t promise them absolutely nothing good. But the young heir was already busy with his luggage, entrusting the bridle of the faithful horse to the calloused hands of taverna’s groom. Robert even twitched from such insolence – this horse belongs to his town, Nodnol! But judiciously had decided to leave the wrangling for later, he took the bags of flasks and test tubes from Jekyll’s hands, grunted, and immediately threw them to the ground. Why do princes need so many excess things? - our glorious hero asked himself. Henry turned to the ringing of equipment, gave Lanyon a death glare (causing him a hiccups attack), and returned to the stableman.

“I’m afraid we’ve come from afar and we do not have a lot of money right now, you understand.”

The man genially nodded, but he didn’t intend to retreat so easily.

“And still, the maintenance of your horse is additional service that require additional payment, comrades,” he hummed, twitching his gray mustache.

The prince sighed. For a while he stood there, until finally reached into his trouser’s pocket, evidently deciding something. When his hand slipped, a copper ring was laying on it, a ring encrusted with two large gems – a ruby and an emerald. Lanyon could also swear that it had tiny engraved letters, he just couldn’t see what kind of.

“Will it pass as payment?” Henry purred, dangerously squinting.

The stableman swallowed. A sudden change in the mood of this stranger scared him. He hastily grabbed the ring, and, practically not looking at it, nodded and led the horse into the stall without further ado. The heir followed him with an empty glance and then turned to the tavern and slid inside.

And Robert… Robert thought that on his return home, he would definitely kill Sinnett.


	3. III p.I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i decided to divide this into a few parts, cause I'm running out of time right now in my life, so sorry, this is short. also i need sleep.  
> _  
> yeah, maybe itll be a little bit longer than i planned.

And the first thing our hero had felt when he came inside: that it was incredibly stuffy in the tavern. Although there weren’t much people, and those who were preferred to holed up in the corners, silently sipping their drinks and resting from the scorching sun. A few pairs of eyes stared at the newcomers and Robert shivered. Yes, he was used to attention in Nodnol, but there everyone has known him almost since birth. Here… Long story short, the nobleman hurried to rush to Henry, who confidently approached the counter and poked a tiny copper bell with his fingertip. A soft, gurgling chime resounded through the building; some visitors jerked, as if only now noticing the presence of someone else.

Lanyon moved closer to the prince and had already opened his mouth to say something, but only when he saw the expression of his face, all of his words abruptly disappeared. He bit his tongue unwittingly. There was something like a veil, lying on Jekyll’s face – with a dark lace it slid over his lips and eyelashes, turning his hair into the ripe chestnut color, turning his eyes into the bottomless oceans. And also Robert could swear that they weren’t red at all, that noble wine color that he remembered so well. They were…

The door behind the counter had creaked and opened wide; and there was a stately, muscular man with a dashingly twisted brown mustaches and a broad smile straight under them. Lanyon threw a quick glance at the prince, but an obscure illusion had dispersed in the dust; the heir again was full of smiles, refined and devilishly sweet.

“Good day to you, visiting,” the tavern’s owner chuckled, leaning on the counter. “Why did you come? Where are you going? Maybe some drink first?”

The heir shook his head, a gentle smile graced his lips.

“Thank you for the offer, bur we’re here only to rent a room for a night. We’ve come from afar and incredibly want to spend our sleep in peace and safety.”

The peasant looked at the prince with a long, penetrating gaze; then this look shifted to Lanyon. The aristocrat involuntarily winced: as if he was some kind of commodity on the market, where old ladies like his grandma buy vegetables and then complain about their staleness.

“Hm-s, so room as room.” The taverner switched back to Jekyll. “You seem like you’re a silent type of men, but I don’t want any troubles here, so...”

“Oh, but we won’t bring troubles,” the heir gently interrupted him, raising his hand in a reconciling sign.

“Yeah, no one is chasing us, or something,” Lanyon blurted out, suddenly even for himself, earning a Henry’s dead look and a quiet snicker from the owner. He sniffed and twitched his mustache: by he was so amused with this phrase.

“This tavern has seen a lot in her life, but hiding from the chase haven’t yet popped up here,” the man again gave a short laugh and shook his head. Now, when he had turned to Jekyll once again, his affable blue eyes sparkled with pure fun. “So, gentlemen, I have some vacant chambers, for your good luck. Are there only two of you?”

Lanyon was about to nod and put an end to this, but the young man next to him did it faster. He said:

“No, in the evening another friend of mine will join us.”

“We don’t have three-beds rooms.”

“Two is enough,” the prince smiled politely.

While the taverner turned to the box with keys, muttering to himself, Robert turned to his companion and widened his eyes expressively, whispering “what friend?” with his lips. No, since he had agreed to help this strange princey, why should he learn about all aspects of the trip right on the road?! Although wait, he didn’t even agree! Henry just winced at his silent question and barely visible waved his hand. The aristocrat snarled and turned away from him, sniffing in an offense.

 

When he handed the key to the young man, the latter gracefully and lightly bowed, and then took his friend upstairs.

Mr. Doddle followed him with a pensive look. He was the owner of this small tavern for a good ten years; with him its experienced both best and worst days. Unlike thieves and robbers, escapees have never really stopped here. However, until today the princes haven’t stopped here either.


	4. III p.II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im very depressed (◕‿◕)♡ so i dont know how good is this chapter.

Robert, of course, did not dare to hope that he could have a good rest – he had realized it back when he spent the night on the bare ground. And when he had seen the local conditions, our hero was finally sure of it. No, it wasn’t dirty, and spiders didn’t find their shelter here; just wood furniture was clearly going through its ninth decade, and the mattress was unattractively decorated by spots, the origin of which the nobleman didn’t want to think. And probably he had shuddered more than a dozen times; the prince threw him a quick, gloomy glance, and turned to the window.

“Do not worry, we won’t be here for long,” the heir mumbled barely audible, unbuttoning his cloak and casually throwing it onto his bed.

Lanyon sarcastically (at least he believed it very much) rolled his eyes.

“I already guessed. By the way, don’t you deign to answer a couple of my questions, Your Highness?”

It turned out to be too poisonous. A shadow had ran across the prince’s face like a cat, and the aristocrat swallowed, abruptly turning toward his half of the room. Oh well, he doesn’t know how to keep his tongue behind his teeth, he never knew how. However, Jekyll immediately relaxed and folded his hands together, giving Robert a soft look. From this look he swallowed even harder.

“Of course. What are you interested in?”

“First of all, why do we drag so many of your chemistry stuff, damn it?!”

This is not what he wanted to say! - but this was the first thing he exclaimed. Henry’s eyes widened in surprise, as if he also didn’t expect such a vital questions from his companion. His confused glance that had been given to the bags with the flasks became even more confused, when the prince stared somewhere on the far wall.

“It’s… Shouldn’t bother you. I told you, I’m cooking a certain… potion.”

“So are you a fairy too or what?” Robert raised an eyebrow in a vague even for himself move.

“W-what, no!” The heir sharply turned to the nobleman; on his face was written such a sincere shock, Lanyon had even felt sorry for him. For one miserable second, and then he again remembered that this innocent angel threatened him and made him go to the evillest fairy of the whole world. “I’m not a fairy nor a magician, I’m just… I have been fond of alchemy since my childhood and… much more things. Is, is this all your questions? - we do not have much time.”

Till what? Robert, however, wisely decided to leave it for later. Not that he wanted to know it so much.

“Well, why are we here? You kept telling us that we absolutely must get to Enacra; well, here we are, so why?”

The simplest question – and yet, Jekyll immediately looked away and clasped his fingers. Something in his eyes shifted for a second, flashed and disappeared, leaving an unpleasant sediment in Lanyon’s stomach.

“It’s been three days already, and… transformations are usually pretty painful, that’s… I thought that we need to settle somewhere… for a while… and I...”

Let’s be honest, our hero hadn’t understood practically anything from this droning; so he met the prince’s words with a worthy Nodnol’s resident pokerface. When Henry had noticed this, he answered him with an equally worthy member of the royal family glance “begone, miserable peasant”. They would have looked at each other like that for a long time, believe me – just there was a sharp boyish cry and the sound of breaking glass outside, and they both twitched. Prince had first run to the window, took a gloomy look at the streets and muttered something indiscriminate about children and their silly games. Robert, at this time, gathered all of his will power and asked the most important question:

“And what kind of friend we – you are – waiting for?”

His red-eyed kidnapper turned around, but now his face was clearly unreadable. As if he hid all emotions deep-deep, into the very bottom of his mysterious soul.

“Do not worry. You’ll find out very soon, besides there is no use in hiding something from you.” Henry took a deep breath and suddenly smiled broadly, casting off a faceless numbness. “I’ll take a walk around the village, and you, you can make yourself at home… just please, do not get out of the tavern. I’ll ask the taverner to look after you. Don’t think anything wrong, I just don’t want… you to run away, you know? Good? Well, that’s fine, we’ll see each other in the eve- although we won’t see each other again, well, fine. Make yourself at home!”

And with that merry murmur, the prince jumped out of the room. And our brave, brave and roundly tired hero blinked a couple of times and gloomily stamped his foot. Hell, these royal tyrants! It seems that now he’s grounded.

 

Robert Lanyon had promised himself that he wouldn’t touch the ill-fated bed even with a finger, but fatigue still took over him. The last thing he remembered was the red’n’white stains on the sheets, in which he then shamelessly wrapped up. In a dream, he jumped on the roofs of his dear Nodnol, and before him loomed an obscure shadow with colorful eyes. But before he could’ve properly examine it, some terrible crackling in the most arrogant manner wrested him from such a mysterious dream. And then Robert Lanyon jumped on his bed, looking around in mortal fear, but… found no one. There was silence in the little room, only from floor below could have been heard the swarming and sounds of music. The nobleman turned to the window (old-fashionedly devoided of tulle) and with horror realized that it was already night. And at this time taverns are usually packed from the top to the bottom.

And he would have happily sleep on – but no. The accursed fifth sense – well, that one which his family was famous by – drove him down to meet the unknown. Like the fearless Don Quixote, like the brave Samwell Tarly, he courageously descended the stairs, rounded the corner; and his face was met with a roar, a hubbub and a din.

There were a lot of people here, much, much more than in the day. Most of them drunk: mean and cheap wine were splashing in mugs and glasses, spilling on the flour, seething, accompanied by a loud clamor. Some ate, slaughtering their insatiable bellies; some chatted and threw a greasy poker cards on the tables. Here gathered the people of all genders and almost all ages – and Lanyon immediately regretted that he had gone down. He has nothing to do here. He wasn’t a drunkard – at least, he didn’t heard about it – and even if he was, the idea of getting drunk at home and in proud solitude seduced him much more than in the midst of an angry and drunken crowd. Realizing this simple truth, our hero backed away (and when he managed to descend so low?), but crashed into something sweaty and unwieldy. Into something aggressive.

This something grabbed his collar and sharply shook him. Robert choked and squeaked, waving his hands in the air. A minute later he was put on the ground, strongly pushed for last. The nobleman did not fall. He became angry. But when he, with righteous fury on his face, turned to his tormentor, all of his anger evaporated like a drops of dew in the sun.

It was not a man, it was tall and green, cumbersome and terrible-

“Adam!”

A short, dark-haired girl jumped to the monster and shoved him in the shoulder with her fist. It looked comical, but Lanyon let out only a small chuckle.

“Do not frighten the guests. Furthermore this one came with,” but the “Adam” bent down, and nobleman did not hear the further.

When the whispering ended, the girl gave him a suspicious look. Robert nervously blinked. Eventually, the black-haired snorted briefly and dragged the green monster after her. And our brave man – he had tried to get up to his room again, but hardly his foot stepped on the first stair…

The doors of the tavern were wide open, there was a shrilling screams; and also his wrist was firmly grabbed by some disheveled blond.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah, I used this stupid frankenstein-creature name from the top 100 stupid Frankenstein creature names.  
> is it Rachel? is it Hyde? what is happening?  
> _  
> the next chapter is going to be action so you should be terrified, because I hate writing action.


	5. III p.III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the adventures of two cursed gays, one tired ace and (finally!) a very sarcastic girl continues!  
> 1) I edited this whole thing (for the third time), wow.  
> 2) hopefully I'll establish this thing to weekly updates, hopefully I'll finish it until spring.  
> 3) the third chapter is finally ended, yeah, action still isn't my thing, but I told you!

The blond had pulled Robert after him and a second later our stumbling hero found himself in some dark and small pantry. His unexpected savior clicked the lock chain sharply and leaned against the door, listening. Although there was no need for a special hearing – on the other side a real madness had been taking place. The shrill cries of the visitors were mixing with random shots and the rude voices of the invaders. Something was cracking, rattling, squealing – and absolutely everything was turned upside down. Our hero blinked dumbfoundly, still not fully aware of himself and his position in this universe. This very unconsciousness, apparently, had served as the beginning of his nervous breakdown.

“Who are you?” Robert screeched, bouncing back and crashing into wooden shelves.

One of the cans with cucumbers, peacefully located on a shelf, could not stand such insult and collapsed, breaking into thousands of small shards and shedding its content.

The blond turned, with clear discontent in his eyes. _Emerald eyes_ , emerald eyes that an aristocrat had already, maybe, somewhere…

“Equipment upstairs?” He asked instead of an answer.

Lanyon choked, his eyebrows involuntarily crawled upward.

“ _What_?!”

The blond snorted and rolled his eyes quickly, not stopping to listen to what was happening outside.

“Flasks, retorts, other charms… But of course, unlikely you would have done something with them.”

The brave Nodnol stupefied, not knowing what to answer at this remark. The questions in his head mingled in a strange multicolored tangle, and clearly did not hurry to unravel. But suddenly was heard a sonorous yell, and his savior gave a voice again:

“I'm Edward. You're Robert. We need to pick up the equipment, and then we will try to get out of this cauldron. Understood?”

Robert did not. But no one bothered to wait for his answer – the self-proclaimed Edward took off the chain and pushed open the door, newly grabbed the nobleman by the elbow and jumped outside.

Outside was a fire. Its hungry tongues were eagerly licking the counter, flashing the frightened faces of the unsuccessful to escape and the gloomy mugs of the bandits. The latter were many – they were busily pacing the first floor, ignoring the heat. They, obviously, were looking for someone, and Robert's brain, damaged by shock, nevertheless got interested. Wonder who?

However, he hadn't have much time to wonder – Edward noiselessly turned the corner and rushed up the stairs, hauling the hero behind him. Lanyon ouched, his braiding legs gave out a completely wild rhythm, and thank heavens that their footsteps was not audible behind the crackling flame. The top floor was completely empty – some of the doors were wide open, as if inviting to settle in tiny rooms. The aristocrat understood that the people were running and they were running in hurry – some of the windows were broken, guests were jumping straight out, hoping to escape from robbery.

When the blond had dragged him to the right door – their with prince room, - our hero suddenly realized that he forgot to close the door with a key. Edward broke in and rushed to the sacks with chemical stuff, bending over them like over beloved child. And in Robert's head had moved something slimy and tickling, some kind of ghostly memory.

“Edward...” he muttered, frowning suspiciously. Somewhere he had already heard-

The door opposite their room creaked loudly, making the nobleman to jump and abruptly turn. What the…? Who else could be here?

“Your cloak, get dressed quickly.” Green-eyed had thrown a piece of clothing in his side, which Robert successfully caught. Edward himself put on Henry's cloak, and it suited him perfectly, even the size had surprisingly compressed, and the brooch… it was not Henry's cloak. It was that second cloak – the one that prince had took with him. The cloak with a stunning emerald – and not ruby – brooch.

Robert Lanyon swallowed, because things suddenly began to make sense.

“The door creaks here,” he whispered out of the blue, pointing to the creaking door itself.

The blond, already clutching at the bags, stared in surprise somewhere between the nobleman and the door.

“Must I care?”

“Yes!” Robert hissed, at once losing all caution from the outburst of indignation. “Maybe there is someone left! Need to check.”

Edward chuckled and again – again! - rolled his eyes.

“Go then, check.”

“Me?!”

Unlimited was the panic in the our traveler's voice – nevertheless, he didn't have to check. That door suddenly burst open, a black-haired girl appeared on the threshold, with her huge monster behind. With one jump she had reached Robert and pulled him along; and Edward immediately dropped the equipment and grabbed Lanyon from the other side, braking the whole procession.

“Hey, where are you taking my _guide_?” He hissed, squinting.

The girl snorted and pulled in her side more strongly. Green-eyed blond, however, also did not intend to give up. When Robert realized that a little more and he would be torn to many tiny aristocrats, he screamed. This scream did not last long – the company put his mouth shut together, and a minute later all three were already in the room. The black-haired girl quickly slammed the door and froze, listening intently. When the danger seemed to had passed, she turned sharply toward the nobleman and his savior, and scowlingly stamped her foot.

“Why did you-”

“Why did ya try to steal him?” Edward interrupted her, showing his teeth.

Girl's eyes widened, but hardly with amazement. Rather, from the same feeling that recently didn't allow Robert to wave his hand at the ill-fated door. Indignation.

“Listen, you-” The girl'd started, but was interrupted by a hoarse cough from behind.

The nobleman and the others turned to the sound. On the bed in the room was laying the same man whose amiable smile lighted up prince's Henry and his companion's first steps in the tavern. Taverner. The girl immediately rushed to him, forgetting about the flaring up fight.

“Mr. Doddle, I'm so sorry! I, I brought the one you wanted to see,” she mumbled, stroking the man's hair. Then added a little more quietly: “The one who came with the prince.”

The tavern owner nodded and coughed again. Robert noticed that his shirt was frayed on his left side, showing the world a fresh burn. And from what he saw, he wasn't feeling well.

“My dear Rachel,” Doddle croaked, smiling by the edges of his dried lips. “Without knowing it, you brought me someone more valuable.” He raised himself on the bed and silently stared at the green-eyed blond. The latter did answer him with a wary eyes, even too wary. “Edward Hyde.”

The name swept through the room like a wave, and for a second a veil of silence hung in the air. From downstairs still could be heard screams, the crackling of fire was intensifying – and our hero, of course, was terribly curious about what would happen next in their tiny mise en scene, but he still cherished the hope of getting out of here alive. And the above-named Edward Hyde approached the bedridden man, boring him with a piercing gaze. The black-haired girl gave him a suspicious look, but obediently backed, giving a way.

“Mr. Hyde, I'm one of those people who know,” Doddle grinned, “the original story, you might say.”

The blond nodded slowly.

“Henry and I did not know about you,” he muttered.

The taverner shrugged his shoulders.

“I found out about it by chance, but the king and the queen made me to take vow of silence, which I did keep 'till this day. They said that you and prince Henry will find a way out of your situation. And I see” the brown-haired gave Robert a swift, warm look “that they weren't mistaken.”

“We're heading to Virginia Ito,” Edward said.

The nobleman quickly glanced at this girl-Rachel, but seemed like her that news did not shock at all. As for the green monster, the expression on his face could only be read as unlimited tiredness. Robert swallowed and turned away.

The taverner nodded thoughtfully.

“Rachel!” He called weakly. The girl jumped up and immediately ended up at his bed. “Darling, you should… you should go with them. With Mister Hyde and… his companion.”

“But!-”

Doddle shook his head.

“Rachel, I know you do not understand much, but please help him. Edward Hyde will tell you everything on the way, I'm sure. You always wanted to be a heroine, darling, and this is a brave and noble cause. Besides, your grandmother's weapon...”

“But I won't leave you!” Exclaimed Rachel, grabbing the taverner by the shoulders, hugging him tightly. The brown-haired gasped and she immediately stepped away, sniffing her nose. “Sorry.”

“Adam will help me get out and carry me home, but he will not be able to get everyone out. You'll have to find another way, just please...”

A sharp snap from below had interrupted his words, from the stairs came some rude voices.

“Hurry.”


End file.
